Exercise chair

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an exercise chair comprising a foot, a seat and an upper body support member, wherein a ball and socket joint is provided between the foot ( 2 ) and the chair seat ( 1 ). The ball and socket joint comprises a ball head ( 4 ) and a socket ( 5 ) being provided with a spherical hole, and is preferably provided with means for limiting its swivelling motion. There may be foot rests ( 13 ), preferably stirrups connected to the seat ( 1 ) and the upper body support member ( 8 ) may be formed as a handhold ( 10 ). Another object of the invention is a swivelling unit for converting a conventional chair to an exercise chair. It comprises a lower plate ( 14 ) to be fixed on the support rod of the conventional chair and an upper plate ( 15 ) to be fixed to the bottom of the seat of the conventional chair, wherein there is a ball and socket joint between the lower plate ( 14 ) and the upper plate ( 15 ).

The present invention relates to an exercise or “active” chair forexercising and developing several muscle groups at the same time. Thechair is a recreating device as well, which may be used both in homesand offices as well as in fitness rooms or communal places.

Lately, a great number of different exercising, strengthening or fatreducing devices appeared on the market, due to the fashionable fitnesstendency. EP 215 0321 A1 discloses an exercising device for domestic oroutdoor use, which is relatively cheap and requires small room.

There are other devices for developing balancing ability and improvingtraining several muscle groups. The device according to DE 10 2005 047803 A1 consists of a plate and a hemispherical base, wherein the user isstanding on the plate and trying to keep the balance.

These devices, as almost all the devices of the art, are single purposedevices, they can only be used for exercising or fat reducing, are ofrather poor aesthetic appearance and need room for storing when out ofuse. Moreover, the use of these devices means work only and notamusement.

Improvements of the device shown in DE 10 2005 047 803 A1 are theexercise assisting apparatuses published in SI 21114 A2 and WO 03/024538A1. With these constructions the user is not standing, but is trying tokeep balance sitting on a seat supported by a hemispherical base. Thisdevice could already be used for everyday work besides or duringexercising, but it is rather easeless and, moreover, the deflection ofthe seat is rather wide, and therefor the chair needs a bright space foraccommodation. A further disadvantage is that the foot of the user isresting on a foot stand and does not play important role in keeping thebalance. Muscles of the upper body and of the arm are not strengthenedduring the use either.

Object of WO 2006/126705 A1 is an exercise apparatus or chair, whichenables contracting the muscle of a user by regulating a burden due toown weight of the user acting on legs of the user under a state thatbuttocks of the user is on the seat. This apparatus is preferably usedfor raising glucose metabolism by uptake of glucose to muscle due to thecontraction of muscle and, accordingly, for recovering from diseasessuch as diabetes. There is a burden regulator between the seat and asupport base, which comprises one or more rollers driven by motors.

The apparatus according to the WO 2006/126705 A1 is a “passive” chair,as the user does not really makes exercises. When sitting in the chairmuscles of the foot are strengthened only, due to the burden regulation,but there is no active motion of the upper body of the user.

Therefor, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an exercisedevice, which functions as an active chair and enables not only anefficient exercising and fat removing, but may be used as a furniture ofany home or communal room as well and enables the use as office chairwhich strengthens among others muscles of the backbone. Further to that,the device may be used as plaything, even as means for competition.

Accordingly, the present invention is an exercise chair comprising afoot, a seat and an upper body support member, wherein a ball and socketjoint is arranged between the foot and the chair seat, and which may beprovided with foot rests connected to the seat and the upper bodysupport member may be formed as a handhold.

The ball and socket joint comprises a ball head on a support rodarranged between the foot and the seat and a socket provided with aspherical hole and fixed to the bottom of the seat. Alternatively, theball head is fixed to the bottom of the seat and the socket is fixed onthe support rod. It is preferably provided with means for limitingswivelling motion, which may be the socket itself provided with aconical part adjoining the spherical hole and co-operates with a stopbush intruding into said conical part.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handhold is a horizontallycurved rod, which may be held firmly, similar to a bike handle-bar.

Preferably the height of the upper body support member and/or the seatis adjustable, for enabling easy exercising of any user.

The exercise chair is preferably provided with an electronic displayshowing the parameters of the exercise.

Another object of the invention is a swivelling unit for converting aconventional chair to an exercise chair described above. The unitcomprises a lower plate to be fixed on the support rod of theconventional chair and an upper plate to be fixed to the bottom of theseat of the conventional chair, wherein there is a ball and socket jointbetween the lower plate and the upper plate. The unit is preferablyprovided with a latch for locking the ball and socket joint.

The exercise chair can be used both in homes and offices or communalrooms. Already a short exercise generates intensive stress in themuscles of the abdominal, buttock, femoral and waist, which goes withstrengthening and fat reducing effect. Besides exercising, the devicemay be used for playing games as well, e.g. domesticated “rodeo” game.Furthermore, it is possible to organise competition, if the device isprovided with an electronic unit, showing on the display the duration ofkeeping the body of the user in balance.

When the device is out of use or if the user does not want to exercise,the swivelling path of the seat may be restricted or locked withappropriate locking element. Accordingly, the active chair can be usedas normal chair (office chair, bar stool etc) as well.

Further details of the invention will be explained by preferredembodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an embodiment of the exercise chairaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is the side view of a part of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is the side view of a part of FIG. 1, according to anothervariant of the exercising chair, and

FIG. 4. is a schematic drawing of an embodiment of the swivelling unitaccording to the invention.

The exercise chair shown in the Figures comprises a seat 1 and a foot 2.Seat 1 may be a simple padded plate, or may be designed as a bike seator a saddle.

Foot 2 should provide an appropriate support for the seat, therefor itis preferably designed as a rigid, scaffold like structure. In somecases it may be a beam embedded in the floor or the ground.

Foot 2 is holding—as usual—a support rod 3 provided with the seat 2, andis preferably of adjustable height. Means for adjusting the height areknown in many variants in the art, details thereof are therefor notindicated in the drawing.

At the top of the support rod 3, there is a ball head 4, which holds asocket 5 fixed to the seat (e.g. with a plate and appropriate screws).Ball head 4 and socket 5 co-operate with each other as a ball and socketjoint. Accordingly, seat 1 is not fixed in horizontal position, but canswivel in any direction, depending on the position and movement of theuser. The tilting movement can be limited by some lock, e.g. a stop bush6, as shown in FIG. 1. The upper end of the stop bush 6 may be pushedinto the socket 5 and, in this way, the amplitude of the tilting dependson the position of the stop bush 6. The position i.e. the height of thestop bush may be adjusted by pin 7, which can be inserted into boresmade in different heights on the support rod 3. If the top of the stopbush is in contact with the inner surface of socket 5, the seat islocked and may be used as a conventional chair.

The body support member 8 of the chair is mounted to the seat 1, asusual. According to a preferred embodiment, it consists of a handhold 10fixed on or made as one piece with a carrier 9. Carrier 9 may be a tubeor a flat rod, handhold 10 is preferably a horizontally curved tube,which can be gripped easily like a bike handle-bar. It is alsoadvantageous if the handhold, or at least a part of it, is covered withsome soft material, like rubber foam, to ensure comfortable use. Fordomestic or office use, the chair may be designed with conventional bodysupport 8 and arm rests 11, as shown in FIG. 3.

When exercising, the user takes a seat opposite to the body support 8.The chair is tilting immediately. Therefor, the user bends to the otherdirection as a reflex action and tries to hold the balance, which is,however, impossible and in this way tilting and bending is continuingall the time. In the meantime, different muscles of the user arestrained and relaxed continuously, until he gets tired or gives up,after a shorter or longer time. It is surprising how weariful this typeof exercising is, and how strong fatigue-fever is the result thereof,which means that the exercise is effective.

The exercise chair may be used for entertainment as well. Rodeocompetitions may be organised, and the duration of remaining in seat orkeeping the balance can be measured for the competitors. For thispurpose (and for others too), the chair may be provided with a display12 of an electronic unit on an appropriate part of the device, e.g. onthe body support 8. Electronic bobbing drill or shooting may also becarried out during exercising.

After exercising, the seat can be locked and the chair can be used as aconventional chair (or barstool). A further possibility is to apply arelatively big ball head in the ball and socket joint, which makes thetilting softer and thus the user need not to concentrate intensively tokeep balance and can read, work or relax during use. For this purpose,the chair may be designed conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3. Thisvariant can replace e.g. the known rubber ball chair, as it provides thesame effect, but looks more aesthetical. Embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 3can be converted easily to each other, by changing the body supports 8.

According to a preferred embodiment, seat 1 is provided with foot rests

13, preferably with stirrups (e.g. when playing rodeo). Thisconstruction is very good for exercising femoral muscles and makes theuse of the device more convenient without reducing effectiveness.

The embodiments described above are only illustrating the inventionwithout limiting the scope claimed in the attached claims. Both the seatand the body support may be designed in many other ways and made ofdifferent materials. Various changes and modifications of theconstruction and adjustment of the ball and socket joint or the supportwill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In FIG. 4, a ball and socket unit may be seen, which can be used inexercise chairs. It enables converting a conventional chair to anactive/exercise chair to be used as outlined above. In this swivellingunit, the ball and socket joint 4 is arranged between a lower plate 14and an upper plate 15. The lower plate may be mounted to the support rod3 of a chair, and the upper plate may be mounted to the seat 1 of thechair. There is a supporting block 16 between the two plates, forreceiving the ball head 4. Tilting of the ball head is limited by thespherical inner surface of the supporting block 16, as sown in FIG. 4.The swivelling unit is preferably also provided with means for lockingthe ball and socket joint, when out of use and the chair is used as aconventional chair.

In possession of the swivelling unit according to the invention, anydomestic or office chair can be converted to an active chair. Uponreleasing the connection between the support rod mounted to the foot ofthe chair and the seat, the lower plate of the swivelling unit can befixed on the support rod and the upper plate can be screwed to thebottom of the seat. Then, the chair can be used as an active or exercisechair according to the invention.

1. An exercise chair comprising a foot, a seat and an upper body supportmember, characterized in that there is a ball and socket joint betweenthe foot (2) and the chair seat (1), wherein the ball and socket jointcomprises a ball head (4) and a socket (5) being provided with aspherical hole, is provided with means for limiting and/or switching offits swivelling motion, and there are foot rests (13) connected to theseat (1).
 2. The exercise chair as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the foot rests (13) are stirrups.
 3. The exercise chair as claimedin claim 1, characterized in that the upper body support member (8) isformed as a handhold (10).
 4. The exercise chair as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that said means for limiting the swivelling motion ofthe ball and socket joint is the socket (5) being provided with aconical part adjoining the spherical hole, together with a stop bushintruding into said conical part.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The exercise chair asclaimed in claim 4, characterized in that a fixing pin (7) is providedfor holding said stop bush (6) in the designed height on the supportrod. 7-12. (canceled)
 13. The exercise chair as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that it is provided with an electronic display (12).14. Swivelling unit for converting a conventional chair to an exercisechair as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a lowerplate (14) to be fixed on the support rod of the conventional chair andan upper plate (15) to be fixed to the bottom of the seat of theconventional chair, wherein there is a ball and socket joint between thelower plate (14) and the upper plate (15).
 15. Swivelling unit asclaimed in claim 14, characterized in that the ball and socket jointcomprises a ball head (4) connected to one of the plates (14, 15) and asupporting block (16) provided with a spherical nest and connected tothe other plate (15, 14).
 16. Swivelling unit as claimed in claim 14,characterized in that the supporting block is provided with a conicalpart adjoining the spherical nest, for limiting the swivelling motion ofthe ball head (4).
 17. Swivelling unit as claimed in claim 14,characterized in that it is provided with a latch for locking the ballhead (4).